Grayslake woman flying for cancer research

A Grayslake woman coupled her two passions today: Flying and finding a cure for the disease that killed her mother.

Shelley Ventura boarded her Piper Archer at 7 a.m. and left Campbell Airport in Grayslake for an eight hour flight to Boulder, Colo.

The flight is the first leg of a five-stop trip that will take her to Rapid City, S.D.; Fargo, N.D.; International Falls, Minn.; and Duluth, Minn. over 12 days.

During the course of her journey, Ventura will be raising money for breast cancer research.

Ventura, 47, is part of the Ninety Nines, International Organization of Women Pilots, which is conducting the national Fly-A-Thon, "The Ninety Nines Fly for Breast Cancer Cure."

"It was such a natural thing for me," Ventura said. "I was enthralled by flying and then when I saw a chance to promote both aviation for women and raise money to fund cancer research I jumped at it."

Ventura's mother, Norma, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 47 years old. She died in 1983, one year later.

"For me personally, I felt like I needed to be involved in finding a cure," Ventura said. "My mother will be flying with me."